Happy 2011!!

I have been wanting to update my blog since, hmmm.. not sure when already. It has been ages since my last short post, right? And it took me some time to actually create a fan page in facebook.. Mainly because, I am a perfect-melancholy-wannabe.. I would want to read the terms and conditions of a fan page before I create one. And I finally did! I find it faster to update my work there.. as I do not have to write a lot.. duh! and people would know that I am still actively baking and decorating..

Mmm.. however, as mentioned in my previous post, I shall not be taking as many orders as I used to. This year, my kids go to four different schools! Nurin in Secondary School. Dania in Primary School. Favorite son, Iskandar in kindergarten. And Hannah in Playschool. It is Iskandar's and Hannah's first time to their new school... I was pretty emotional two weeks before school starts. I seriously feel that my kids grow up very fast. I just don't want to imagine the day Iskandar would feel shy to kiss and hug me in public. :-p

And, so my plan was to kiss and kiss and kiss and hug and hug and hug him many times in a day.. and I told Nurin to do the same, so that he can't live without our hugs and kisses! muahahaha! kejam tak? I know kejam! :-p

Hannah and Iskandar were pretty cool on their first day of school. I started sending Hannah the final week of 2010, so that I would not rush here and there on the first day of school this year. When I dropped her off that morning, she hurriedly entered the gate.. as if I was going to change my mind. Tak pusing2 belakang pun.. meluru aje..

As for Iskandar, I waited for their assembly and till he entered his classroom for the first period. Jenuh pesan kat dia... "Kalau cikgu panggil Mas Zahid.. tu nama abang tau... " :-p

He seemed able to adapt with the new environment where Malay is minority, compared to his previous playschool, where Malay was majority and the language used.

So, I was left alone with lil Jasmine with her new punk hairstyle. Tak tau la kenapa, her hair turned out to be 'cacak' after we shaved her! She's 8 mo now, and ada 2 gigi bawah baru tumbuh.. :-D

Alamak.. I'm sorry I bore you with my personal stories.. what's important are my cakes.. silly me!

Anyways.. I have new flavors yang I dah lama jual tapi tak berkesempatan nak cerita to everyone: oreo; red velvet; coffee mocha (coffee masih di tahap experimenting if it can be coffee cupcakes.. not sure if it is due to the cupcake casing or what, sometimes the cupcake liner lekang.. but as a whole cake - yes boleh [tapi, kawan I, Serina and Kartina, diorang tak kisah, cupcake liner lekang ke, apa ke.. they like it in the mini cupcake size.. taste and looks are subjective.. :-) .. don't forget!])

hmm.. nak kena update price list la pulak.. Leceh la my pricelist tu.. kena play around with the tables.. and then sat lagi I ter-merge lah.. apa lah.. :-p.. I will definitely update my price list to display the new flavors.. but not so soon ya.

I know everyone has only 24 hours in a day. And we all have loads to do.. And I am amazed with people and leaders who can accomplish a lot of things.. I feel so tiny compared to them. At this very moment, updating my price list with the new flavors are not in my to do list..

One thing about me, as a perfect-melancholy-wannabe, I love lists! Whatever I want to accomplish tomorrow, I shall write them down tonight. I find that lists are powerful, as I accomplish a lot more things if I write them down. and I love cancelling them off too! Rasa bangga tak terkira masa tu! Siap panggil anak2 to witness me cancelling my lists off!

isy.. asyik side track aje kan.. mengidam! lama tak blog! So, quick one now, just photos ya.. this time only... next time we story2 again,, xox

Semuanya Hantaran

Haa.. Dah ramadhan sekali lagi. Macam baru lagi Ramadhan lepas.. sudah berjumpa Ramadhan baru.. Alhamdulillah, masih diberi kesempatan untuk berpuasa di Ramadhan ini, walaupun menyusukan Jasmine.. Hendaknya puasa penuh lah kali ini dan yang paling utama puasa kita diberkati. Semalam, tiba-tiba teringat arwah abang sulung. Dia pergi ketika berumur 36 tahun. I will be 36 this year.. Nice date to celebrate this year - 10/10/10.. :-D.. Tapi, mengenangkan arwah pergi semasa berumur 36, macam tak seronok nak sambut besar-besaran... Walaubagaimanapun, bukan kita yang rancang sambutan harijadi kita, kan? Terus terang, saya dah berhenti menghitung umur sejak mencecah 30.. hahaha.. I am always and forever be 30.. muahahaha..

Anyways, enough being melancholic... Get ready to feast your eyes with these hantaran and wedding cakes/cupcakes.. All work done before Ramadhan. I realise that many got married before Ramadhan. Ramadhan is like a dead line kan.. My 2nd week before Ramadhan, I was busy with wedding cakes, hantaran and doorgifts. My last week before Ramadhan, I was busy with birthdays pulak, which pictures will be uploaded on the next post ya.

I'll start off with this one first.. This was ordered by Ayu, as many know her by Ayu the Sun.. :-D .. aka orang kuat redmummy. Ayu was inspired by Dahlia's stacked cake with a ribbon on top. She said, 'Shaz, buat lah apa saja.. asalkan hijau and putih..'. I was happy! and scared at the same time - what if they don't like what I like. But, I went ahead with this design after thinking and thinking and dreaming and dreaming.. When Ayu came over to send the cake stand back, I was relieved that she was very happy, and so were the bride and groom and everyone else. I know that some would love to have lots of flowers on top of their wedding cake, and this cake is pretty western. Thanks Ayu for your faith and the oppurtunity to try out something different and for letting me add this design to my resume.. muahs!..

Haa.. this was ordered by Anisah's brother. He's the one yang sungguh2 design the cake n cupcakes.. Romantic,kan? He wanted the flavor to be carrot cream cheese, which I do not recommend for hantaran, because the cream cheese will sour if it is left outside for along time.. I only agreed because the girl's side was just nearby.. takdela nak travel jauh2.. :-)

And this red and white theme was ordered by Liza. I had to mix store bought flowers with home made ones, because the red color roses were out of stock. So, I had to make them.

This was ordered by Elly who came at 930+pm to collect her hantaran set. I honestly thought she had forgotten it. Sorry Elly, nampak Kak Shaz in a glimpse aje. I just woke up from a nap and I looked like hell.. gatherring strength before I headed back to the kitchen. My collection time is from 8am till 7pm weekdays. 8am till 12 noon and 2pm till 7pm on Saturdays and Sundays.. Bukan apa, the kitchen is where my family hangs around and cook and eat, and revise (even though I dah buat study table mahal2 :p) and they are pretty shy when my customers come by to collect their cakes (except for Dania and Hannah who are my PR :-p, and are very happy to see you guys). So, after 7pm, I made a promise to them to pass the cake at the gate saja.

This set below was ordered by Lynn. Lynn initially wanted a mix n match set like Elly's for the hantaran, and called in last minute, requesting me to make it a stacked mix n match. The cake was supposed to be a present from her. However, her aunties were pretty worried that the cake will not turn out to be grand enough for the occasion. Honestly, I would be extra worry everytime someone has doubt in my capabilities. I'm not upset. I'm just afraid that my creations are not to their expectations. And, I would happily request them to order elsewhere. Save the stress.. :-). However, Lynn insisted that I do the cake for her. I'm glad her aunties were happy to see the cake, and this set has passed as lavish enough!

While some prefer lavish designs, others prefer it simple. Less is more. Suraya likes it simple and clean like this.. :-) Cantik, kan (sendiri masuk bakul..muahaha)?

This was ordered by Haizan for her wedding. She ordered a fondant cake and a set of cupcakes for hantaran. And this 2 tier stacked wedding cake. All peach!

Haizan mentioned that the choc cake I made for her was a bit bitter than usual. Thank you for the feedback Haizan. I actually modified my choc moist cake recently, from full cream milk to chocolate milk for the more choclaty taste. I received many feedbacks saying that they like it.. But, when asked which one they like better, they can't tell. So, if you find something different to the taste, or the texture is dry, pls let me know, so I can improve. Of course, like beauty, taste is subjective. Let me know anyways. Sometimes, I get different feedbacks for cupcakes from the same batter.. Haa! How is that possible? Well, besides the taste being subjective, I concluded that I should lower down the oven temperature after a certain hour. I believe that's the reason.. Hmm, did you know that I am an Information Technology graduate and that I was a Systems Analyst for 10 years? That's why I can't help analysing! Till then folks!

Carnations & Roses for hantaran

Hi! I'm taking a break now to feed baby Jasmine and at the same time post these pictures for you. These are some of the projects I've completed after my confinement ended. The pink and yellow/orange hantaran are mixed with store bought flowers.. sbb tak sempat nak buat them. It's almost 11pm now, and I'm heading back to the kitchen. BTW, 30th July dah full ya.. I'm not sure about 31st, kena tengok balik.. Till then..

Pink Roses and Carnations

Tomorrow 18/6, Baby Jasmine be 1 month old.. and today I received a baby gift basket from my customer turned friend Ena, Muar. Terkejut ada, terharu pun ada... Sbb kat rumah ni yang selalu terima gift baskets is my dad.. Terima kasih banyak2 Ena.. And hari ni, I terlebih rajin untuk access the net via my own zaman tok kaduk's computer yang sudah lama I tak on.. Selalu asyik menyendeng kat Nurin's or Dania's laptop. And I just realised there are so many pictures here that I have not uploaded. So, cerita lama la sikit ya.. This was ordered by Kak Su! Her sister's engagement.. I think..(dah lama sangat ni..). Selalunya Kak Su lah orang kuat behind all the parties and events at her house.. She would be THE person who knows what to do, who should do what and ensures that everything is in place on time. When Kak Su mentioned the theme was pink, I suggested the roses that I learnt from Kak Jun.. I really would like to implement and practise them.. as practise makes perfect.. and I sure I hope I delivered them well.. Of course I want my teacher to be proud of me.. :-D

And this set was ordered by Radziah.. the same day I did for Kak Su.. I'm glad she wanted carnations! So, I did different shades of carnations for Rad.. I'm glad to have met her that night before I change to my nighties..

And here is a picture of the cuppies all packed.

This was ordered by Farah for her cousin's wedding. You see, Farah wanted the cake and cupcakes arranged in tiers. I suggested them to use the wine glasses and arrange the cupcakes at the bottom, and middle tier, while the cake goes at the topmost tier. I am supposed to receive a picture from Farah, the final arrangement of the cake, but have not received it. So, you guys imagine aje lah ye..

And, as I finished typing this, I hear Baby Jasmine crying for milk..

Till then folks..

Hantaran :: Pink, White, Red...

Hari ni dah 30/4.. Initial intention was to accept orders until this date sahaja. And then, a regular customer, Siti who ordered a stacked clown for Adam's first birthday requested a Chuggington cake for Adam's 2nd birthday on 2nd May. Hard to say NO to my regular customers who have supported me for three years now. :-) And 2nd May jadi 3rd May for Adibah... and then she postponed her party to 4th May, so 4th May pulak jadi last day to bake cakes. And then other regular customers who happened to know that I would be taking a long leave pakat order jugak, and siap text me that they would pray for my health. Thank you Kak Lili.. xoxo... I am excited to post a creation I did today, materialising Dahlia's 1st birthday cake... Tapi, I have a lot more pending pictures to upload.. I don't like to mix birthdays and weddings.. So, since the last post was about birthdays, this one is about hantaran and wedding cakes... Starting off with my favourite customer, Farah Donna who always have faith in me.. (this also reminds me that I have not uploaded Farah Donna's and Farah Dinna's sons' cakes.. sabar ya.. Nanti I cuti, I geledah semua folder I.. ). Farah was the 'orang kuat' for her brother's wedding early April... This hantaran was requested by her mom. Theme color : pink and white.. I'm glad to receive a text message from her informing me how pleased her mom was with the cake.. I'm so happy!

And for the reception, Farah ordered this 3-tier wedding cake for her brother. I'll post different angles of the cake in flickr ya..

Haa... yang ni pulak ordered by Aliya on behalf of her friend. The theme was white, and she requested white flowers on white cake..

Besides this white fondant, Aliya also ordered this pink and red cuppies as hantaran.. I'm not sure now which one was for the groom and which one was for the bride.. Hentam sajalah Labu..

And saving the best for last.. Wani was fascinated by the roses I learnt from Kak Jun and ordered Red Roses for Arie and Ida's hantaran. She wanted 8 roses.. and I tell you this - I made 17!! Cos Wani wanted 'merah hati'.. and my first eight flowers macam tak jadi merah hati.. and I had trouble to eliminate the corn flour .. Alhamdulillah Wani ordered early and I didn't waste my time to do the flowers.. So, I can investigate, find solutions and resolve the issues... And I am very, very happy with the result and so was Wanie.. Aaaah... sukanya terima text message. Bukan sekadar acknowledge dah terima cake.. tapi melahirkan perasaan gembira pulak tu.. ah.. suka hati.. InsyaAllah, I akan upload different angles of the roses nanti ya... To my teacher, Kak Jun.. you are the best! Tengah congak2 ni bila nak boleh pergi kelas figurin.. :-p

Till then everyone. Take care and be well.. Doakan I tau.. xoxo..

This Is It

This is it everyone! It's time.. Time to reduce the number of cakes to bake.. Effective March, I shall limit the number of orders per day to 2 customers only... Good news is that I can still accept if you need cupcakes for door gifts up to 250pcs or a 3-tier wedding cake. I think, in April kot baru start 2 cakes per day.. So, if you are interested to order, please, please, please place your orders the soonest possible time to avoid dissapointment, and do not be angry with me, as I am only human with a big tummy. And I have started taking orders for April too. I am due, insyaAllah in May ... err end May kot..

Btw, as mentioned earlier, I collect all edible images every Wednesday, so pls place your orders for edible images at least before Monday, or better still, the sooner the better.. Like a customer once said to me - you can never change a birthday.. so order early to avoid dissapointment and again jangan la marah I if you missed the boat..

I am still unsure of my pace in making gum paste flowers yet.. last week, I main belasah aje accepted orders for homemade flowers.. nak dekat 50 kuntum kot.. Hari2 buat from 8am till 2pm.. Break at 10am.. siap ada jadual waktu.. and panic unnecessarily sbb takut tak sempat siap.. So, I rasa if you like the homemade flowers for your hantaran or you have a special color like lavendar, or lilac (instead of purple), pls place your orders at least 2 weeks earlier.. so I can make them dengan tenang.. Here are some of the pics for you to enjoy Some I mixed with store bought flowers..

I love the red and pink roses the most..

I had to mix this with some store bought flowers.. My stock for store bought flowers pun dah berkurangan.. Have to replenish them because the cheapest hantaran is the one using the store bought flowers..(in case you're on budget) :-) The price for homemade flowers is of course slightly higher, but still affordable..

and the lavendar.. oooh.. susahnya nak dapat warnanya.. tu, second attempt on the colors.. sekali nampak macam lilac, sekali nampak macam lavendar.. the advantage of homemade flowers is that you can almost get whatever color you want compared to store-bought flowers.. which is purple, tak de nya dia nak layan lavendar or lilac.. LOL..

And gambar yang enter frame this time is this shocking pink heart shaped requested by Mummy Eleen.. The theme was pink and black.. Well, I had to ask her permission to use shocking pink (since it goes very well with black - compared to pastel pink).. and she agreed..

And, this King of Pop's - This Is It was ordered by Leez for her son Nabil..Thanks Leez!

Till then folks! Have a productive week ahead!

Bunga baru

Finally!! After many postponements, I managed to arrange a time with the famous Kak Jun of cupcakekasih for a gumpaste flower modelling class! .. I've been wanting to attend Kak Jun's class since middle of last year.. but our schedule asyik clash ajer.. So, on 3/2, I managed to get Kak Jun's time, and arranged the children's transportation for the day. Seharian bersama Kak Jun.. siap baca doa penerang hati so that ingat apa yang Kak Jun ajar, cepat tangkap ilmu yang diajar and so that Kak Jun tak bosan ngan I.. LOL... Banyak tips yang diberi, and I highly recommend her class to anyone anytime.. Kak Jun, semoga dilimpahkan kesihatan yang memuaskan dan rezeki yang berpanjangan.. Lepas aje belajar from Kak Jun the techniques.. apa lagi, terus buat the gumpaste and start making flowers.. Bukan apa.. takut lupa apa yang diajar.. Selain dari itu, start shopping for tools!! Merata pergi... Of course, my collection at this moment is not as extensive as Kak Jun's, but I don't wait to complete everything to start something.. Whatever I have and I can find, I do that first.. So far, out of 10 types of flowers learnt, I have made big roses, Kak Jun's roses, calla lily with ribbon, carnations and fillers.. Alhamdulillah I have customers yang have faith in me and let me explore even on their hantaran!! I would like to specially thank Zarina who always have the faith in me, Lina - congratulations dear on your engagement! And Allyza who is my first time customer who allow me to explore on her hantaran with carnations.. and Shayna with her ayat standard : tak kisah la Kak Shaz, janji lawa... Below are some pics.. Ada tu, I mix with store-bought flowers... sbb tak sempat,... Mana taknya, this week I've been working so hard to complete the flowers before 230pm.. Motivation to work fast: sebelum Iskandar pulang (exact words from Juriah..).. He really 'LIKES' to help.. :-D

and these are the final products...

oh... yang ni bunga beli dari kedai... tak sempat dah nak buat sendiri...

all in all, even though this has been a very hectic week, I am truly happy for having to implement what I've learnt from Kak Jun (Allah bless you, sister!) I look forward to my next victim (kidding!) so I can apply orchids, magnolia and camelia pulak.. Till then folks!